Jail for Black Country arsonist who set fire to his own flat

A judge told 46-year-old Andrew Huxley what he did was “stupid, anti-social and dangerous”. The blaze caused thousands of pounds of damage, it was said.

Huxley had called at Haden Cross Fire Station and warned officers they would be seeing him again very soon after they refused to open the door to him, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

They had been alerted by rattling at the window of their base in Halesowen Road, Old Hill, just before midnight on June 17, said Ms Raj Punia, prosecuting.

Huxley stood there demanding to be let in, claiming he was suicidal.

When officers continued to deny him access he threatened to drink fire accelerant in front of them and return home.

The defendant then left, refusing to give his address, the court heard.

Within the hour, crews from the station were called to Halesowen Road and recognised Huxley, who was standing outside his property with neighbours.

He had set fire to the kitchen and bedroom, causing at least £5,000 of damage.

46 convictions

Huxley, who was drunk and on drugs, told police he had suffered a mental breakdown that day and could not recall what had happened.

The court heard he had 46 convictions for 136 offences for a variety of crimes and was in breach of a 26-week suspended prison sentence for possession of a Stanley knife.

Ms Caroline Harris, defending him, said the defendant accepted responsibility for his actions and whilst in prison had reduced his methadone medication to a quarter of what it was. He also taught art classes to other inmates.

Of the arson attack, she said: “This was a cry for help that was misplaced but the change in him has been remarkable.”

Huxley, of Durban Road, Smethwick, admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Judge Simon Ward told him: "Fire is unpredictable – sometimes it goes out by itself, sometimes it spreads uncontrollably and kills people, and you can never tell which way it is going to go.

"In this case the fire was so out of control that fire officers had to wear breathing apparatus to go inside. There was a significant risk of harm to people and it is going to be expensive to put right."

Sentencing him to 16 weeks behind bars, the judge said Huxley had a serious drug/alcohol addiction and anger issues.

But he added: "You have shown yourself not to be a selfish man in prison - teaching people to hopefully get the same joy as you do from art, and that impresses me and allows me to temper your sentence significantly."